Felix de lalande



(N0 Model.)4

I'. DE LALANDEYz QUE'AFRON.

GALVANIG BATTERY..

Nol 274,110. Patented Mai-,20,188s.

...../wuhzu.. ....9612 ...1.

'l PETERS. mouw. mxima.;

Tolall whom Iit may concern UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX DE LALANDE, OF PARIS, FRANCE, AND GEORGES CHAPERON, OF Y MINESDALOSNO, SPAIN.

GALVAN I C BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,110, dated March20, 1888.

Application filed July 1l, 1882. (No model.) Patented in France Tune 25,1881. No. 143,644.

Be it known that we, FELIX Da LALANDE and GEORGES OHA'PERQN, citizens ofthe Itepublicot France, residingrespectively at Paris,A :in the Republicof France, and the Mines dAlosno, Province-de Huelva-,in thc Kingdom ofSpain, have jointly' invented certain new and useful Improvements inGalvanic Batter ies, for which we have received Letters Patent or Brevetdlnven tion in France No. 143,614, dated th June, 188i; and we'do herebydeclare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description ofthe` invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertainsto'make and use the same.

These piles are characterized by. the employment simultaneously of oxideof copper as the depolarizing-body and of caustic potash or caustic sodain solution as the exciting-liquid. They can be readily formed withoxide-oicopper electrodes ot' good depolariZing-power having a goodconductibility, especially when they already have worked and containsome metallic copper. We employ these caustic solutions in place ofother solutions because we have found that they possess verygoodconducti bility and that the oxide ofcopper is insoluble therein. Othersolutions We have as the result of experiment'not found to possess thesetwo advantages at once. The active electrode ot' the pile is constitutedby a metal capable of being attacked by the exciting-liquid ot' the pilewhen the circuit is closed-for example, zinc, tin, lead, or a metalcapable of fixing the hydrogen, as palladium platinum, spongy platinum,iron reduced, or, as well, copper obtained by precipitation orelectro-chemicalreduction. These piles are reversible-that is to say,capable of being recharged by au electric current of sufficientelectro-motive force.

In .the accompanying drawings, Figure l shows in sectional and in planview an apparatus adapted for `practicing our invention;

Fig. 2, similar views of another arrangement,

and Figs. 3, 4, and 5, still other arrangements. lhe following .areexamples of practical arrangements: l

A. First. Theinactiveplate,Fig.1,isformed by a plate, c a, ot'` iron,copper, or other metal, or ot' a plate of gas-retort carbon, surrounded'tainingvesseh by oxide of copper, c c, built up and maintained by abag, c' c c' c', ot' cotton or hemp cloth, or iron, copper, or brasswire-gauze. In this and the succeeding iigures, b represents thenegative pole, d the exciting-liquid, and c the con- This oxide ofcopper can be mixed With iron'tilings or turnings, or copper lings orturnings. or pieces ot metal gauze, or fruginents of carbon to augmentthe surface of the' de13 olarizihg pcle.

Second. A porous vessel, a2 a2 c2 a2, can be employed,l as shown iu Fig.2, in which is placed aniron rod, a a', or a rod of copper, or carbonrod, surrounded with iron or copper turnings or fragments of carbon. Theinterstices are tilled with oxide of copper.

Third. Oxide of copper is simply placed at the bottom of the vesselwhich forms the pile, mixed ornot Withconducting materials, a metallicrod,or a rod of carbon plunged inthe mass and forming the positive pole.A very simple arrangement (shown in Fig. 4) consists in putting thedepolarizing material c in the interior ot' a metal capsule or cover,c2., placed at the lbottom of the vessel e, and' communieating with theexterior by an isolated conductor, a. Thus is obtained an arrangementanalogous to that of Galland couples, with this difference, that thedepolarzer is not soluble and that the two poles can `be placed at verylittle distance apart.

Fourth. We are able in different Ways. ot which Fig. 3 illustrates one,to form with oxide ot' copper agglomerations or plates cz t?, orcylinders, bricks, grains oi' greater or less size, which are sufficientfor employment in maintaining charges near the positive pole ct ofthepile. Oxide ot' copper -is equally capable of being agglomerateddirectly on the conductor forming the positive pole and being part ofit.

(a.) Heat alonesufces to agglomerat-e the oxide of copper as partiallymelted.

(b.) Thisagglomeration is providedatalower temperature on .adding to theoxide of copper tive to ten per cent. ot' pounded glass, argil, orgelatinous silica. The mixture is worked up with a sufficient quantityofv water, molded, dried, and heated toa red heat. t

B. Forconstitutingthe activeelectrodeofthe pile we prefer generallyzinc, which gives the :oo`

greatest electromotive force. It is useful to amalgainate it. We employit in any formplane surfaces, cylinders, spirals, threads,grains,barsoringots,oastings,andotherforms. It is applied so as to avoidall contact with the positive pole. In case the oxide'is placed at thebottom ot the vessel,the zinc is suspended at the upper part. To applythis arrangement to very small piles we proceed in the following manner,and as shown at Fig. 5. In a cylindrical glass tube, e, we place ametallic wire, a', having its extremity, a3, wound into a spiral form.We add a certain quantity of oxide ot' copper, c, which We recover incase of need with porous wad, paper card, cotton, or other suitablematerial. We then pour in the exciting-liquid d and stop the mouth ofthetube e with a stopper or cork,f, pierced with two oritices,j"f2, intoone of which passes the metallic wire a', while the other is traversedby a small cylinder of zinc, b.

C. Exctz'ng-lz'Qm'd.-As an exciting-liquid We employ solutions ofcausticr soda or caustic potash containing from ten to thirty per cent.ofthe dry material. y

D. Working of the pila-A pile being constituted by adepolarizing-electrode having one ofthe arrangements previouslydescribed, (A,) a cylinder or a rod of zinc maintained at a suitabledistance, (B,) and an exciting-liquid (C) when the poles are reunited,an electric current is established in the exterior circuit. The zinc isattacked, is dissolved, or is precipitated in the stateof oxide, and theoxide of copper is reduced to the metallic state. The reaction iscontinued' and the current is maintained until one ofthe three elementsis used 11p-zinc, depolarizingmaterial, or theexcitingliquid. The piledoes not Work in a sensible manner while the circuit is open When re- 4charging the pile With a current of' electricity the reduced copperabsorbs oxygen energetically and returns into a state of oxide, the zincis deposited in a metallic state, and the alkaline solution isregenerated. 4

Having fully described our invention and the means by which the same maybe carried into ett'ect, We would have it understood that We do notconline ourselves to the precise details or arrangements hereinbcforedescribed, 5 as the 'same may be varied without altering the principleor the nature of our invention; but

What wedesire to claim andsecurc by Letters Patentis.- 5

l. In electric piles or galvanic batteries, oxide of copper as thedepolarizing-body, combined with caustic potash or caustic soda insolution as the exciting-liquid, zinc forming the active electrode ofthepile or battery, sub- A6 stantially as hereinbcfore described.

2. In electric piles or galvanic batteries, oxide of copper and causticsoda or caustic potash in solution, in combination with the devicesherein described for maintaining the oxide Iof 6 copper in contact withthe inactive plate of the battery or pile.

FELIX DE LALANDE. GEORGES UHAPERON.

Witnesses as to F. de Lalande:

A. MILLo'r, E. l?. MAGLEAN.

Witnesses as to G. Chaperon:

EDUARDO DIAN, jf V. DELIGNY.

